Aurora Expeditions reveals Sylvia Earle designs

Aurora Expeditions reveals Sylvia Earle designs

The vessel, which is the sister ship of Greg Mortimer, is due for delivery in October 2021

 Aurora Expeditions has revealed new renders for its forthcoming ship, Sylvia Earle.

The vessel, which is the sister ship of Greg Mortimer, is due for delivery in October 2021 and is named after the oceanographer and marine conservationist, Dr Sylvia Earle.

The purpose-built ship features the Ulstein X-Bow, a core design element that the line says is essential to the speed, agility and impressive fuel efficiency of the ships in its fleet.

CEO Monique Ponfoort says: “It is really exciting to see a second X-Bow ship coming into market for Aurora Expeditions. Its innovative, eco-sensitive design captures the essence of small-ship expedition travel pioneered by Aurora Expeditions.

The Science Centre

“Exploring the natural world is at the heart of what we do and elements of nature have been brought into the interior design of the Sylvia Earle. Education and conservation are integral to our DNA, and ensuring passengers immerse themselves in a destination is of paramount importance to us,” she said. “Our goal has always been to create lifelong ambassadors for the protection of the wilderness areas we travel to and we know that the Sylvia Earle is in a strong position to help us achieve those goals.”

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The ship include the Sylvia Earle Science Centre, created with input from Dr Earle. The centre, located in the glass lounge in the bow, is designed to allow guests to experience onboard citizen science programmes. In keeping with Dr. Earle’s own vision and achievements, there will be a particular focus on marine education and conservation.

Tomas Tillberg, managing partner of Tomas Tillberg Design and his team have led the interior design of the Sylvia Earle, as they did with the Greg Mortimer.

“Our close collaboration with Aurora Expeditions has resulted in a design that is not only visually appealing, but also eco-friendly as we have chosen, where possible, materials that are environmentally sustainable. The design also emphasises the importance of casual, elegant comfort, that will really make guests feel relaxed and at home.”

Global head of marketing, Victoria Primrose, said: “The sleek exterior livery of the Sylvia Earle makes use of our signature teal colour making the ship instantly recognisable as an Aurora Expeditions vessel. For the interiors we deliberately chose a simple, natural colour palette, taking inspiration from the remote and pure natural areas that we travel to.”

Aurora Expeditions ships are said to have one of the lowest polluting marine engines in the world, due to a combination of low energy consumption, high fuel-efficiency and a streamlined design. The state-of-the-art Tier 3 engine delivers an 80 per cent reduction in emissions, compared to Tier 1 engines, and can utilise virtual anchoring to hold its position instead of dropping anchor on a delicate sea floor. On-board desalination plants convert seawater to fresh water that is safe to drink. The ships therefore carry less fresh water on sea crossings, further reducing fuel consumption.

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